Mehdi Farashahi, PhD

Mehdi Farashahi holds a BSc in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University, and a MBA and a PhD in strategy from Concordia University. He is one of the founders and the Chair of Montreal Local/Global Research Group. His research interests combine institutional theory, organizations' forms and strategies, and global/local issues. He is particularly interested in management practices of firms in the global business environment and more specifically in developing and emerging economies. The applicability of western management theories in exploring management practices in other parts of the world has always been in his research agenda. Making aggregate analysis as a type of meta-analytical approach in synthesizing research through systematic review of literature is another field of his research since 2001. These systematic reviews are reflected in his publications and conference presentations. Most recent areas of his research are institutional entrepreneurship, organizational identity and internationalization of SMEs. He has conducted empirical research using samples from aviation, textile, and hotel industries. 

Dr. Farashahi has published in journals such as Organization Studies, Management International Review, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Journal of International Management, International Journal of Management Education, International Studies of Management and Organization, International Journal of Management Reviews and The International Journal of Commerce and Management. He has been teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in the fields of strategy and international business at the Department of Management of John Molson School of Business since 1998. He is the recipient of the 2009-2010 Dean Award for teaching excellence at graduate level. He holds various technical licenses for different types of airplanes and has sixteen years of working experience as a field engineer, quality control inspector, technical manager, and training manager in the airline industry.

Education

PhD (Concordia University)

Areas of expertise

• International business
• Strategic Management
• Internationalization of SMEs
• Institutional change and economic development
• Management and organizations in emerging and developing countries
• Local/global institutions and strategy of firms
• Management of multinational corporations
• Synthesizing research
• Aviation industry

PhD Seminars

- International Management Seminar

- Debating Strategic Management Seminar

MSc Courses

- International Management

- Strategic Management

MBA Courses

EMBA Courses

Undergraduate courses

Executive Centre JMSB

- Seminar Certificate in Strategic Management (ICAO)

- Strategic Planning and Innovation (ICAO)

- Cross-cultural Management and Its Challenges

interactive conferences with managers and professionals of Canadian firms

Chairing the third Academic/Practitioner Conference in Montreal(spring, 2011): Canadian Small and Medium Size Enterprises Going Global: Challenges and Opportunities.

Speakers: D. Lessard (MIT),E. Westney (York U.), R. Voyer VP of SOPREMA, W.D. Mothersill President of National Angel Capital Organization, D. L'Heureux Regional VP of Export Development Canada.

Chairing the second Academic/Practitioner Conference in Montreal(spring, 2010): Canadian International Companies Doing Business in Developing and Emerging Countries.

Speakers: R. Ramamurti (Northeastern U.), E. Westney (York U.), P. Somers CEO of Walter International, N. Steward VP of Rio Tinto Alcan, M. Zambianchi VP of Pirelli Tire, T. Meti CEO of GDNP Consulting.

One of the organizers of the first Academic/Practitioner Conference in Montreal (August 14, 2009): Multinational Corporations in Developing Economies and Emerging Economies: Local-global dynamics and organizational adaptation.

Speakers: David Audretsch and Klaus Meyer and Executives such as Jim Cherry, Jeff Robert, and Shawn Fleck.

 

Refereed Journal Articles

Simba, A., Tajeddin, M., Farashahi, M., Dana, L.P., Maleki, A. (2024). Internationalising high–tech SMEs: Advancing a new perspective of open innovation. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Volume 200.

Tajeddin, M., Farashahi, M., Moghadam, K., Simba, A., Edwards, G. (2023). Internationalization of emerging economy SMEs: A tripod approach. Journal of International Management, 29 (1). 

Farashahi, M. and Tajeddin, M. (2018). Effectiveness of Teaching Methods in Business Education: A Comparison Study on the Learning outcomes of Lectures, Case Studies and Simulations. International Journal of Management Education (16):131-142

Chikhouni, A. Edwards, G. and Farashahi, M. (2016). Psychic distance and ownership in acquisitions: Direction matters. Journal of International Management, 23: 32-42.

Molz, R. and Farashahi, M. Invited Guest Editors, (2011). International Studies of Management and Organization, themed issues From Dilemma to Theory to Research Agenda: Doing Business in Developing and Transitional Countries. Vol 41, No 1& 2.

Molz, R. and Farashahi, M. (2011) Preface to Doing Business in Emerging, Developing and Transitional Economies. International Studies of Management and Organization, 41(1 and 2).

Farashahi, M. and Hafsi, T., (2009) Strategy of firms in an unstable institutional environment. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 26(4): 643-666.

Carney, M. and Farashahi, M. (2006), Transnational institutions in developing countries: the case of Iranian civil aviation. Organization Studies, 27(1):53-77.

Hafsi,T. and Farashahi, M. (2005), Applicability of management theories to developing countries: A synthesis, Management International Review, 45(4):483-511.

Farashahi, M., T. Hafsi, and R. Molz (2005), Institutionalized norms of conducting research and social realities: A research synthesis of empirical works from 1983-2002, International Journal of Management Reviews, 7(1): 1-24.

Farashahi, M. and Molz, R. (2004), A Framework for Multilevel Organizational Analysis in Developing Countries. The International Journal of Commerce and Management, 14(1): 59-78.

Book Chapters

Refereed Conference Presentations

Farashahi, M. (2012) Chairing Professional Development Workshop on “Transforming Organizations and Management in Islamic Societies” (with presentations by scholars such as Shaker Zahra, Taieb Hafsi, Arif Nazir Butt and Sondos Gamal Abdelgawad and coordination by Abdulrahman Chikhouni) at the Academy of Management Conference, Boston, U.S.A.

Farashahi, M. (2012) Chairing Panel Session on “Entrepreneurship in Islamic Societies” with presentations by M. Farashahi, Abbas Ali, Alaude Marcotte, and Soumaya Ben Letaifa and coordination by Abdulrahman Chikhouni at the Academy of International Business Management Conference, Boston, U.S.A.

Chikhouni, Abdulrahman & Farashahi, Mehdi (2012). The Institutional Effects on Inter-organizational Network Structure. Paper presented at the Academy of Management Conference, August 2012. Abdulrahman Chikhouni and Mehdi Farashahi.

Hafsi, T., Edwards, G., Farashahi, M., & Molz, R. (2011). Distance and MNC strategic decisions.  Presentation at Academy of International Business UK Conference (Edinburgh)

Chikhouni, Abdulrahman,  Edwards, Gwyneth & Farashahi, Mehdi. (2011)  East to West: The Implication of Institutional Distance for MNEs from Emerging Countries (EM MNEs). presnetation at Academy of Management, San Antonio, USA.

Chikhouni, Abdulrahman & Farashahi, Mehdi (2011) The Relationship Between Governance Structure of a Firm and its Joint Venture Strategy. Presentation at the ASAC, Montreal, Canada.

Chikhouni, Abdulrahman; Mehdi Farashahi; and Gwyneth Edwards (2010). Institutional Duality and Emerging Country MNEs. Presented at the Academy of International Business Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Amirkhany, Arash. and Mehdi Farashahi (2010) Formal and Informal Institutions and the Entry Strategies of Multinationals. Presented at the Academy of International Business Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Faiza Muhammad and Mehdi Farashahi (2009) In Accord or Discord? Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Theory in International Context presented at Academy of International Business Conference, San Diego.

Ashar Saleem and Mehdi Farashahi (2009) An institutional explanation of crossvergence. Presented at Academy of International Business Conference, San Diego.

Institutional distance and MNC strategy presented at the Academy of Management Conference, Chicago, U.S.A.  (August 2009). With T. Hafsi, G. Edwards, and R. Molz

Alfred Jaeger; Arif Butt; Ilan Avrichir; Mehdi Farashahi; and Taieb Hafsi (2007) Managerial Values in Developing Countries: Global Convergence or Local Divergence? Presented at Asia-Pacific Researchers in Organization Studies (APROS) International Colloquium, New Delhi, India

Rick Molz; Taieb Hafsi; Mehdi Farashahi; Sergio Janczak; Claude Marcotte; Sid Ahmed SOUSSI and others (2007), From Dilemma to Theory to Research Agenda: Doing Business in Developing and Transitional Countries, SPDW at the Academy of Management Conference, Philadelphia, U.S.A.

Taieb Hafsi; Luc Bernier; Mehdi Farashahi (2007) Institutional Entrepreneurs in the Public Sector: Towards a Contingency Theory, presented at the Academy of Management Conference, Philadelphia, U.S.A.  

Michael Carney and Mehdi Farashahi (2007) Institutional entrepreneurship and the corporatization of the global air navigation regime, presented at the European Group of Organizational Studies Annual Meeting, Vienna, Austria.

Luc Bernier; Medhi Farashani and Taied Hafsi (2007) What is institutional entrepreneurship about? Presented at the Administrative Science Association of Canada Conference, Ottawa, Canada

Farashahi, M. and Hafsi, T. (2006), Strategy of firms in an unstable institutional environment: The case of textile firms in a developing country, presented and discussed in the third Paper Development Workshop of the Journal of International Business Studies at the Academy of International Business Conference, Beijing, China.

Marcotte, C.; R. Molz; M. Farashahi; T. Hafsi; S. A. Soussi; and S. Janczak. (2006), A Multi-theoretical Conceptualization of Multinational Corporation Expansion in Developing Countries: A Model and Evidence. Paper presented at the European Group for Organization Studies Conference, Bergen,

Jaeger, A., Farashahi, M., Hafsi, T. (2006), International Business Symposium. at the
Administrative Science Association of Canada Conference, Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Janczak, S.; R. Molz; T. Hafsi; M. Farashahi; Marcotte, C. (2006), Business in Developing Countries: Interaction between Local Institutions and Global Economic Dynamics, SPDW (with presentations by scholars such as G. Hofstede, N. Adler, and T. Dacin) at the Academy of Management Conference, Atlanta, U.S.A.

Marcotte, C.; R. Molz; M. Farashahi; T. Hafsi; S. A. Soussi (2006), Strategy Implementation in Emerging Countries: Three Theoretical Approaches, Paper Development Workshop (International Management Division), the Academy of Management Conference, Atlanta, U.S.A.

Marcotte, C.; R. Molz; M. Farashahi; T. Hafsi; S. A. Soussi (2005) Les Stratégies Des Firmes Occidentales Dans Les Pays En Émergence: Trois Approches Théoriques, Presented at the Administrative Science Association of Canada Conference, Toronto, Canada.

Farashahi, M., T. Hafsi, and R. Molz (2005), How Global/Local and Formal/Informal Institutions Shape the Behavior of Organizations: A Research Synthesis of Empirical Works from 1983-2002, Presented at the Academy of International Business Conference, Quebec, Canada.

Marcotte, C.; S. A. Soussi; R. Molz; T. Hafsi; M. Farashahi; C. Ratiu (2005) " The
strategies of Western firms in emerging countries: Three theoretical approaches". The Congres de l'International Management Development Association, Grenade, Spain.

Hafsi, T. and Farashahi, M. (2004), “Applicability of management theories to developing
countries: A synthesis”, Proceeding of the British Academy of Management Annual Conference at St-Andrews, Scotland.

Farashahi, M. and Hafsi, T. (2003), “Strategic management in highly constrained
environments: The case of textile firms in Iran, presented at the Academy of Management Conference, Seattle, U.S.A.

Hafsi, T. and Farashahi, M. (2003), Institutional theory and economic development, presented at the XIIeme Conference de l'Association Internationale de Management Strategique, Tunis, Tunisia.

Hafsi, T. and Farashahi, M. (2002), Administration and Development: K. J. and H. Revisited twenty years later, Presented at the Academy of Management Conference, Denver, U.S.A.

Farashahi, M. & Molz, R. (2001), A Meso Framework To Assess Organizations and Managerial Activities In Developing Countries, Presented at the Hawaii Conference on Business, Honolulu.

Mary Watson, Selda Fikret, Pasa Bogazici, Mabel Miguel, Mehdi Farashahi & Alfred Jaeger (2000), Pluralism in Academic Roles: Using One Vehicle to Make Simultaneous Journeys . Best Symposium at the Academy of Management Conference.

Farashahi, M. (2000), Is there a theoretical framework for management systems in developing countries? Administrative Science Association of Canada Conference, Montreal, Canada.

Farashahi, M. (2000), Some Guidelines for Future Theoretical Frameworks of Management activities in Developing Countries, Proceeding of International Conference in Management Sciences, Tamkang University, Taiwan.

Farashahi, M. (1999), Management Systems in Developing Countries, Proceeding of Academy of Business and Administrative Science Conference, Barcelona, Spain.